Tag Archives: Convent of the Sacred Heart

Each year, generous donors provide gifts for families receiving services at LSA, ensuring that there are presents under the tree for everyone. On behalf of the families we serve, we give heartfelt thanks to holiday gift donors for bringing extra cheer to our community. Thank you!

Holiday Gift Donors:

Convent of the Sacred Heart School
The Buckley School
Catholic Charities
Joelyn Cecere
Jillian Diehl
Disney
Brenna Moore and Friends
Mount Sinai Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine
P.S. 106
Riverdale Country School
Robin Hood Foundation Adopt a Family
St. Francis de Sales
St. John’s Bread and Life
St. Luke’s Giving Tree
Zonta Club of New York City

Above: the holiday party for children in our K-3 programs. Tutors donated money so we could host the party, and the Zonta Club of New York donated the gifts for the kids. Our social work interns helped ensured the party was a success and our own Sr. Deysi was Mrs. Claus.

Brenna Moore (left) with her children and LSA’s Monica Sanchez and Trish Gough. Brenna hosted a gathering at her home and invited her friends to bring gifts for moms in our programs. The gifts were beautifully packaged and given to mothers in our Building Bridges art therapy program.

Children from our programs visited Riverdale Country School, for Breakfast with Santa! They fun-filled day included activities with Riverdale high school students.

Michael Chung from the Convent of the Sacred Heart School dropped off presents for children in our programs donated by Sacred Heart families.

Our great thanks to the students, parents and staff at Convent of the Sacred Heart, which have been such wonderful supporters over the years. This Thanksgiving holiday, students donated apple pies and provided groceries for meals to 34 for families. They also donated funds to the food pantry for the purchase of milk, juice, and other essentials.

September 27, 2017 — “Every one of us is part of the community we’re in. You’re either contributing or detracting from it.”

This is what Marina Hunt, a graduate of the Spence School, took away from her high school volunteer experience. Marina joined a panel of student volunteers at #PayItForward, a forum on youth community service hosted by LSA Family Health Service and Convent of the Sacred Heart School.

Additional speakers included Adam Garner of DoSomething.org; Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist and certified school psychologist; Dr. Cappy Collins, a pediatrician who engages youth in community health programs; Naomi Varnis, an admissions director at Columbia University; and India LaRoda, Miss India America 2017 and a former Special Olympics volunteer with extensive service experience.

Audience members included a mix of students, parents and educators. Their main questions were: what kind of service experience is most valuable for middle and high school students? How can they get started? And how does it help them in the long term?

Naomi Varnis said, when she’s considering college applications “there is no one right type of service. It’s about the quality of engagement that you have.”

For example, she said, volunteering with an organization over a long period shows that a student is really committed to its mission. “That kind of work can help students understand their role in the community.”

“When you are volunteering you are figuring out who you are as a person, how you interact with the world, and how you engage with other people,” said Dr. Sanam Hafeez. She pointed out that the teen years are essential years for self discovery, and volunteering can play a positive role in helping teens understand and define themselves.

“Being a professional, doesn’t mean wearing a suit and tie. It can be giving someone a box of cereal so their children can have food in the morning, or a bag of rice so they can have food at night.”

– Cristo Rey student Nathanael Hinds, on what he learned as a volunteer

The student panelist shared how volunteering changed their view of the world and of themselves. “Through service, I have become more of an activist,” said Grace Wilson, student body president of Convent of the Sacred Heart who taught young children at the school’s student-run HEART summer camp.

Nathanael Hinds, a student of Cristo Rey New York High School who volunteered at the LSA food pantry throughout his sophomore year in high school, said volunteering opened his eyes to careers that can make a difference in the world. “Being a professional,” he said, “doesn’t mean wearing a suit and tie. It can be giving someone a box of cereal so their children can have food in the morning, or a bag of rice so they can have food at night.”

For students who don’t know where to start when it comes to volunteering, India LaRoda’s advice is for students to look to their own interests. “Think about what you’re passionate about,” she said. “That will make you want to volunteer.” Her own experience volunteering with the Special Olympics in middle school inspired her current work as a behavioral interventionist for children with special needs.

Adam Garner, campaigns manager at DoSomething.org, an online platform that motivates young people to make positive change, described the spirit of service as the desire to help others without the need for personal recognition. He summed it up saying simply: “If you can help, you help.”

#PayItForward was organized by the Parents Committee of LSA Family Health Service, a group committed to engaging youth in service at the East Harlem nonprofit. The event was cohosted by the Covent of the Sacred Heart School and sponsored by Carnegie Hill Neighbors and Gourmet Garage.

This summer, children from LSA families participated in the Convent Of The Sacred Heart H.E.A.R.T program for 9-11 year old children, and H.E.A.R.T Prep for 7th and 8th graders.

The collaboration with Convent of the Sacred Heart allowed 36 children whose families are clients at LSA to attend a four week summer program facilitated by high school students of Convent of the Sacred Heart. They were able to select between math, coding, swimming, art, debate, and more and attend field trips on Fridays. The 7th and 8th graders did math and reading, and had the opportunity to visit high schools to gear them up for the high school application process.

Children participated in an end-of-camp graduation on July 29th, which highlighted the skills learned the previous weeks and the sense of community and friendship these children were able to develop in such a short period of time. Children performed and showcased poetry, songs, dance, and films they worked on together. They also participated in the camp’s first Guacamole Contest. Ashley Cantu, a long term LSA client, won this contest!

According to the latest survey from the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, nearly one in four children in NYC live in a home that can’t always afford to eat. We certainly experience this in our food pantry, which has seen an increase in demand for our services.

That is why we are so thankful to the following organizations for their fantastic gifts that will make this an extra-special Thanksgiving for our families!

Ten classes at Horace Mann School held food drives to provide a week’s worth of groceries to ten LSA families.